CHAPTER 271: CHAPTER 245: NO REASON TO RETREAT

At this moment, back at Jun Garden, the two little ones were staring straight at Su Xiaomeng.

Yin Shixiu told her to go back first, so she had Ah Su carry Shuangshuang. However, Shuangshuang was not happy about it, afraid that she would be separated from her mom and cried out anxiously.

Su Xiaomeng stood her ground, refusing to take a single step away.

Usually not that clingy, even Prince Huang seemed quite scared, his eyes fixed intently on Su Xiaomeng.

The most heart-wrenching moment came in the afternoon when Xiao Meng coaxed him to sleep, the little one’s tiny hands tightly wrapped around Su Xiaomeng’s slender arm.

He was so sleepy he couldn’t hold his eyes open but was determined to keep them wide open.

Xiao Meng kept soothing him, saying that Mommy was here and Mommy wouldn’t leave...

Eventually, the little one succumbed to the weight of his eyelids and closed his eyes.

When he awoke, he was panicked, and only after seeing Su Xiaomeng by his side did he calm down.

Xiao Meng and the children returned to Jun Garden, aside from Bai Sidong who left earlier, Bai Fengmao and his daughter-in-law along with his grandson were also preparing to leave.

Yin Shixiu took a mild breath, stopped Bai Shunyuan, "Wait a second..."

Bai Shunyuan was momentarily stunned, then met Yin Shixiu’s gaze that seemed to see through everything, "Grandfather, please wait a moment, I have a few words to say to Shunyuan."

Bai Fengmao glanced at Bai Shunyuan, showing an undeniable disappointment towards this grandson for the first time.

This disappointment was even greater than when Bai Shunyuan took that girl to Yijing Manor back then.

"Go ahead."

Bai Shunyuan followed Yin Shixiu to a quiet spot not far away, where Bai Fengmao and his daughter-in-law could still see them from the doorway.

However, they couldn’t hear the conversation.

The two faced away from them, about the same height and both quite robust, yet Yin Shixiu’s stance appeared significantly more stable and upright than Bai Shunyuan’s.

"Earlier they asked you the reason, you said you didn’t pay much attention at the time, Jiang Shanshan said Ren Yixuan and Xiaomeng were childhood sweethearts, so you didn’t follow them..."

Yin Shixiu spoke lightly, his gaze unconsciously drifting.

Bai Shunyuan pressed his lips, nodding slightly, "...Uh-huh."

"You can deceive others, but do you think you can deceive me, Cousin Shunyuan..."

Yin Shixiu’s sharp eagle eyes swept towards him, addressing him with a tone that was both awkward and firm... Cousin Shunyuan.

"Why then? Why didn’t you save her..."

There was a tinge of blame in Yin Shixiu’s words.

He carefully examined the young man in front of him, ten years his junior.

"Don’t you like her? Why did you watch her falter without standing up, why did you watch her get taken away by another man?"

Bai Shunyuan’s beautiful pupils enlarged instantly, looking towards Yin Shixiu in a bit of horror...

What, what did he just say?

Yin Shixiu slightly curled his lips, "Do you think I don’t know that you like her?"

Bai Shunyuan swallowed, hearing his own heart pounding uncontrollably.

How could Yin Shixiu... know? Did Jiang Shanshan... tell him?

"It has nothing to do with Jiang Shanshan."

Yin Shixiu seemingly heard the voice in his heart, suddenly spoke.

This rendered Bai Shunyuan speechless for a moment.

The secret he wanted to hide, to conceal, was like a paper window pierced through with a word from Yin Shixiu.

"You..."

"Men are usually very sensitive towards other men coveting their woman. Jiang Shanshan once approached me and showed me some photos, to be honest, those photos were not very telling..."

"That girl thought I would use those not very convincing photos to ask Su Xiaomeng to stay away from you."

"Photos prove nothing, but the way you look at her, I remember it very clearly."

Yin Shixiu shrugged a little, "I know you like her."

"I want to know if the reason you didn’t come to her rescue is related to Jiang Shanshan threatening you?"